The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has distanced itself from the recent declaration of the “United States of Biafra” at a convention in Lahti, Finland, organized by supporters of Simon Ekpa.
In a statement on Saturday, IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, rejected any links to the event, describing those backing Ekpa as “criminals supporting illegal activities to destroy their land.”
The declaration was made during a convention organized by Dr. Ngozi Orabueze, who introduced herself as the Chief of Staff of the United States of Biafra and the convener of the “Biafra Declaration of the Restoration of the United States of Biafra Convention 2024.”
Videos from the event, which circulated widely on social media, showed participants waving Biafran flags and chanting slogans.
IPOB firmly disassociated itself from the declaration, emphasizing that it does not recognize Ekpa’s faction activities.
Powerful stated, “IPOB has no involvement in any conference. Those people (Ekpa’s faction) are criminals supporting illegal activities to destroy our land. There is no such thing as a declaration of Biafra from our side.
“Any claim that IPOB is hosting a conference is false. When IPOB decides to make such an important announcement, the whole world will know. Those making such statements are fake.”
The spokesperson for the Movement for Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, Sunday Edeson, in his reaction to the report, stated that if IPOB succeeded in the realisation of Biafra through its declaration, MASSOB would accept and rejoice with them.
He added that the British government would never support the freedom of Biafra.
Edeson said, “Everyone has the right to declare. They declared their freedom in Finland, but we know that we’re still under Nigerian leadership. We support them.
“Declaring independence in Finland doesn’t mean we’re free from the Nigerian government. We still use Nigerian currency, and security agencies are still from Nigeria. So, we’re still under Nigeria’s control.”
